$202 MILLION FOR POWERBALL WINNERS MARY AND BRIAN LOHSE

Powerball winners Mary and Brian Lohse won $202.1 million in the 26th September 2012 Powerball lottery draw which was the second largest jackpot win in Iowa. Their winning Powerball numbers were 13, 26, 39, 41, 42 and the Powerball 10. The Lohse’s, from Bondurant, decided to take the one off payment and took home $90.9 million.

BRIAN LOHSE’S DISBELIEF

Mary Lohse, who is 42 and works as a certified medical assistant in the paediatric clinic at St. Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, decided to play Powerball with two tickets while filling up with petrol at Casey’s General Store, on her way to work on 26th September – the day of the draw. On 27th September Mary heard that there was one Powerball lotto jackpot winner and they were from Iowa.

On seeing the Powerball winning numbers, Mary thought she may have three of them and could have won $100. She decided to check her ticket when she got to work and found that she had all six numbers. “I was shaking so bad, I figured I should not be there giving children shots and stuff, so I lied and said that I had a sick child – which I have since apologised to them for – then left, and called Brian.” Brian Lohse is 43 and works as an attorney in Des Moines. He was in Portland on business when Mary rang him with the news that they had won the Powerball lotto jackpot. “I just figured she was playing a joke,” he said, “and she was carrying it quite far, but that’s not necessarily unusual. She put her boss on and she tried to convince me as well, and I just figured I was being punked.” Brian told Mary, “if you are telling the truth, go see our attorney.”

Mr Lohse did not believe his wife or her text messages about them being Powerball winners until she rang from the attorney’s office.

ADVICE TO THE LOHSE CHILDREN FROM MUM AND DAD

Mary Lohse broke the news of the Powerball lotto jackpot to their three children, aged 8, 11 and 15 and explained, “we are still the same people that we were a week ago, and when your dad and I first got married, we had dreams for things we wanted to do for our kids and, you know, have a boat and that kind of stuff. We’re going to do all that now, but we’re still the same people that we were yesterday.”

POWERBALL WINNERS MARY AND BRIAN LOHSE SET UP FAMILY TRUST

The pair of Powerball winners spent the next eight days following the life changing Powerball results speaking to lawyers and financial consultants, explaining what they wanted to do with their Powerball jackpot win. Only after a family trust was set up, did they go and claim their prize.

POWERBALL WINNERS MARY AND BRIAN LOHSE ON SPENDING THEIR WINNINGS

Brian and Mary Lohse are using their Powerball lottery winnings to help pay off their student loans and buy a new car. Student debts are something that the children of $293.7 million November 2012 winners Cindy and Mark Hill won’t have to worry about, as the pair used their winning to set up college funds for their children.

Brian and Mary are staying in Bondurant but will probably buy or build a new house. Brian said, “We have a plan to help our church and our community and the school. We’re going to set up different structures to do that, financial structures to be able to do that. And of course our kids and ourselves – we want to make sure the kids are taken care of, so that we don’t necessarily have to work 40 hours a week for the rest of our lives.”

“God has certainly blessed us with more than we will ever need, and with the opportunity to do the good things in life and to do good for other people. So, that’s our plan.”

GIVING TO THE COMMUNITY

It has long been the wish of the residents of Bondurant to have a decent grocery store, as at present there are only two small convenience stores and they have to travel to do their main shopping. Brian and Mary Lohse have given $3.5 million from their Powerball lotto jackpot to build a store for the community.

When the store is open, they plan to build a gym next door. Brian and Mary have also donated $3 million to their son’s high school to build a new football stadium. Mary requested that the visitor’s locker room be painted pink.

They also donated money to their church – Bondurant Federated Church – and cancer research.

RETIRING

The Lohse’s, took an immediate leave of absence from their respective jobs thanks to their winning Powerball numbers. “I did tell my boss he might want to look for a replacement,” Brian said.